Galatians 3:1-9 Part 1

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Galatians 3:1-9 Part 1

By Works or By Faith?

September 29, 2024 • Brent Stephens • Galatians 3:1–9

Paul has already warned the Galatians twice in chapter 1 that if anyone is preaching a gospel contrary to the one he preached, they are to be anathema, accursed, considered outside the faith that was once-and-for-all

delivered to the saints. At the end of chapter 2, Paul begins to get a little more specific about the problem that these churches are dealing with: their doctrine of justification. At the end of Galatians 2:16, Paul said “by works of the law no one will be justified.”

Galatians 1:1-5

August 4, 2024 • Brent Stephens • Galatians 1:1–5

We are fascinated with the origins of things we love. Documentaries cover the history of a particular style of music. Or they tell us about the younger years of our heroes and how their formative experiences shaped their great accomplishments. Shows for “foodies” visit the restaurant that is the “original,” the first to serve a particular dish. In the first few verses of Galatians, Paul introduces one of the important themes of the letter: the origin of the gospel message. Paul contends that both the origin of the gospel and the origin of his apostleship are found in God alone.

Galatians 1:6-10

August 11, 2024 • Brent Stephens • Galatians 1:6–10

Most of the time, if you want to confront someone, you start with some good news first. A compliment or an affirmation of your relationship to them might precede the hard conversation. Paul often commends the churches he writes to for things he knows they are doing well. In Galatians, Paul moves directly from the brief reminder of the gospel message to the bad news: in listening to the message of the Judaizers, the Galatians have turned away from the gospel entirely! Paul responds with alarm to the spiritual threat that the Galatians don’t see, in the same way that we would if we saw a friend stepping out into oncoming traffic. No time for pleasantries!

Galatians 1:11-24

August 18, 2024 • Brent Stephens • Galatians 1:11–24

Men believe they know everything. God knows better. Jeremiah 10:14 reminds us that “Every man is stupid and without knowledge.” Paul, an incredibly learned man, would be seen as a sage among most of the Jewish population in the first century (Philippians 3:4-6; Acts 22:3), yet he denounces his own knowledge and ability when it comes to the gospel. The gospel is something far superior to anything man has ever produced. It takes a wise man to understand that truth.